Encourage and spark early word problem ideas with a guided brainstorming activity. Consider age-appropriate mathematical operations that the student might want to choose for his word problem, and write them down on a sheet of paper, leaving a few lines of space between each one. Instruct the student to think about and jot down words associated with the operations in the space provided -- keywords like “plus,” “greater than” and “total” would be associated with addition, for example, while “twice as many” and “times” would be associated with multiplication. Once the student has considered ways to express each operation, he can choose the one he wishes to include in his word problem. Reserve his notes for reference as he writes the problem later.
Once the student decides upon the basic mathematical structure of his word problem, he can then fine-tune the mechanics. Provide guiding questions like “What will your math problem require others to add, subtract, divide or multiply?” or “What two units of measurement will your problem include?” Encourage students to write the details down and then begin constructing a rough sentence or paragraph from their structuring and planning notes.
Now it is time to think about the details. Ask the student to consider the situational context of the word problem, and encourage her to determine what descriptive adjectives and details can enhance the problem and provide additional information for others. For example, a student's sentence might read: “Craig and Debbie had four pencils. One was lost. How many are left?” Encourage her to add descriptive details for interest and clarity -- such as, “Craig and Debbie each placed four pencils on the table when they began their homework. While they were working, one of Craig’s pencils rolled off the table, and two of Debbie’s pencils broke. How many pencils are left on the table?”
Before a student submits her math problem or shares it with the class, she needs to make sure it’s accurate and solvable. Instruct the student to read her problem over carefully, checking to ensure that everything is spelled correctly, makes grammatical sense and is consistent. If the first part of the problem indicates that Michael receives $10 for every hour he works, for example, the question posed in the problem should be related to dollars or hours as opposed to, say, train schedules or slices of pizza. Finally, the student should prove the math problem by solving it herself a few times to ensure mathematical accuracy. If she comes up with different solutions or values, there might be an inconsistency in the problem.